Processing selected browser requests

ABSTRACT

Processing a browser request that specifies a destination network resource generally includes intercepting a browser request that specifies a selected destination network resource and redirecting the browser request to a network server that differs from the destination resource specified by the browser request. Processing a browser request also may include intercepting a browser request received from a client computer at a proxy server when the browser request specifies a selected destination network resource and performing instructions associated with and in addition to instructions performed to download the selected destination network resource.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser.No. 12/172,703, filed on Jul. 14, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,996,460which is a Continuation Application of and claims priority to U.S.application Ser. No. 09/693,840, filed on Oct. 23, 2000, which issued onJul. 15, 2008, as U.S. Pat. No. 7,401,115, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/160,874, filed Oct. 22, 1999, all ofwhich are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to processing selected browserrequests.

BACKGROUND

Internet use has become increasingly pervasive in recent years.Resources available on the Internet include electronic content andservices. Internet resources may be accessed using a browser and anInternet service provider (ISP). An ISP includes a computer or group ofcomputers that enable a physical connection between the Internet and thecomputer of a person seeking access to the Internet (“client computer”).A browser is a software tool installed on the client computer anddesigned to enable communications over the physical connectionestablished by the ISP. In this manner, the browser and ISP may be usedtogether to allow communications between the client computer and othercomputers that are connected to the Internet.

More specifically, a web browser is a program that enables requests tobe made of web servers connected to the Internet using a HypertextTransfer Protocol (HTTP), an application layer protocol for exchangingfiles on the World Wide Web (www) that is defined in Internet standardRFC 2068. The browser displays web pages provided in response to theserequests. A browser may also be used for displaying documents describedusing the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).

A single web page may be composed of several different files potentiallyof different data types (for example, text, graphics, images, virtualworlds, sounds, and movies). In addition, a web page can include linkspointing to other resources available on the network (for example, webpages or individual files). Links can be displayed as text strings, asgraphical images, or as combinations of the two. Each link has a networkaddress or uniform resource locator (URL), which is essentially apointer to network resources that is defined by Internet standard RFC1738.

When a user clicks on or otherwise selects a displayed link, the browserautomatically retrieves the web page (or other resource) correspondingto the link's associated URL and displays or executes that link. Acomputer operator may also access desired Internet resources usingbrowser requests that typically include a domain name corresponding toone or more destination servers storing desired Internet resources,e.g., www.jcrew.com or www.dell.com. Browser requests may also includethe URL of specific web pages stored on those destination servers, e.g.,www.jcrew.com/homepage.html. In either case, a browser request may besatisfied by mapping a specified domain name or URL to a correspondingdestination server.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, generally, processing a browser request that specifies adestination network resource generally includes intercepting a browserrequest that specifies a selected destination network resource andredirecting the browser request to a network server that differs fromthe destination resource specified by the browser request.

Implementations may include one or more of the following features. Forexample, the intercepting may include routing the browser request to aproxy server including a list of selected network resources, comparingthe browser request to the list of selected network resources, andintercepting the browser request when the browser request includes oneor more of the selected network resources that are specified by thelist. The redirecting may include comparing the browser request to alist that includes instructions associated with the destination resourceand performing the instructions associated with the destinationresource. Performing the instructions may include displaying contentthat differs from the destination resource; adding content to thedestination resource and displaying the destination resource thatincludes the added content; and displaying content from the destinationresource from a network server that differs from the destinationresource.

In another general aspect, processing a browser request also may includeintercepting a browser request received from a client computer at aproxy server when the browser request specifies a selected destinationnetwork resource and performing instructions associated with, and inaddition to, instructions performed to download the selected destinationnetwork resource.

Other features and advantages will be apparent from the description,including the drawings, and from the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of a system capable of processing filteredbrowser requests.

FIGS. 1B and 1C illustrate, respectively, a trap list and an instructionlist used by the system of FIG. 1A.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are flowcharts showing processes performed to processfiltered browser requests.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are block diagrams showing components within a systemcapable of processing filtered browser requests.

FIGS. 4A-4E are illustrations of views presented to online operatorsthat submit filtered browser requests.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is possible to enhance or replace the content and/or functionality ofa desired Internet resource by intercepting selected browser requestsand redirecting those browser requests to resources that differ from thedesired Internet resource. In one implementation, a proxy server is usedto intercept browser requests, compare the intercepted browser requestsagainst selected domain names, redirect browser requests that includeselected domain names to a jump server other than the server containingthe requested resource, and process those browser requests to providecontent or functionality other than that of the destination resource. Inanother implementation, rather than using a proxy server, software isprovided on a client computer to intercept selected browser requests andredirect those requests to the jump server. In yet anotherimplementation, rather than using a jump server, software is provided onthe proxy server for intercepting and processing browser requests toprovide content or functionality that differs from the content andfunctionality provided by the destination resource.

In each of these implementations, the browser request may be redirectedto a resource other than the destination resource, e.g., a server otherthan the destination server or a uniform resource locator (URL) otherthan the destination URL. The browser request may also be processed suchthat content is provided in addition to the content of the destinationresource. For example, for selected browser requests, the display may bereconfigured to add one or more windows other than the window used todisplay content from the destination resource. These windows may overlaythe window used to display content from the destination resource, orthey may be arranged for display in addition to that window (e.g.,windows positioned adjacent the window used to display content from thedestination resource).

FIG. 1A shows a computer system 100 capable of filtering and processingbrowser requests. The system 100 includes a client computer 110, a proxyserver 120, a network 130, a destination server 140, and a jump server150.

Client computer 110 is typically implemented in a personal computer(PC), laptop computer, or workstation computer. Client computer 110includes hardware and software that allows an operator to performvarious tasks, such as communicating with other computers and theiroperators, accessing resources stored on the computer or other accessedcomputers, and viewing, creating, and manipulating electronic content(e.g., any combination of text, images, movies, music or other sound,animations 3D virtual worlds, and links to other objects). Morespecifically, client computer 110 includes various input/output (I/O)devices (e.g., mouse, keyboard, microphone, video input/output,touchscreen input, display and modem). Client computer 110 alsogenerally includes a general or special purpose computer having acentral processor unit (CPU), I/O ports and drivers, memory, and storagedevices. Examples of memory devices include volatile and/or non-volatiledevices such as flash memory, random access memory (RAM), read-onlymemory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable PROMs, andelectrically erasable PROMs. Examples of storage devices include floppydisk drives, compact disk (CD) drives, digital versatile disk (DVD)drives, permanent (hard) disk drives of magnetic and optical types, andtape or backup drives.

The storage of client computer 110 includes software for accessing anInternet service provider (ISP), which software enables communicationswith network resources over a modem or other telecommunications devices.The software includes a browser that is used by operators of the clientcomputer 110 to generate requests for network resources accessed by themodem or telecommunications devices. Using browser software, clientcomputer 110 is able to access the electronic content and resourcesstored locally within its own storage and memory, or the electroniccontent and resources stored on remote computers, which may representclient computers of other users or destination servers such as thatshown by reference numeral 140.

Proxy server 120 is an intermediary that is positioned between clientcomputer 110 and network resources (e.g., destination server 140 andjump server 150). Typically, an IP address for proxy server 120 isspecified as a configuration option for the browser or other protocolprogram. Once this address is specified, communications between clientcomputer 110 and network 130 are routed through proxy server 120. Proxyserver 120 is invisible to the operator of client computer 110, as allnetwork requests and returned responses appear to be directly sent orreceived from the addressed destination server. An example of a proxyserver 120 includes Internet service provider (ISP) computers, wherecommunications between client computer 110 and the Internet are routedthrough the ISP computers.

Proxy server 120 can be configured to provide security, administrativecontrol, and caching services. Proxy server 120 may be associated with,or be part of, a gateway that separates an internal network of clientcomputers 110 from external network 130, and may provide a firewall thatprotects the internal network from outside intrusion.

Proxy server 120 generally includes a cache of previously downloadednetwork resources (e.g., web pages). When a browser request from clientcomputer 110 is received by proxy server 120, the proxy server filterseach browser request against the cache of previously downloaded networkresources. If a match exists between the browser request and a cachednetwork resource, proxy server 120 is able to generate and return aresponse to client computer 110 without forwarding the browser requestto network 130. Conversely, if the browser request does not match acached network resource, proxy server 120 uses one of its own IPaddresses to request the network resource from destination server 140over network 130, with proxy server 120 acting as a client on behalf ofclient computer 110. When the requested network resource is returned toproxy server 120, that network resource is forwarded to client computer110. In the implementation of FIG. 1A, proxy server 120 includes one ormore trap lists 120 a that are used for comparison against browserrequests received from the browser software on client computer 110. FIG.1B provides an example of a trap list 120 a. This particular trap list120 a shows a list of domain names against which browser requests fromclient computer 110 are compared and with which browser requestsincluding selected domain names (a “selected browser request”) areidentified. Trap list 120 a also may include other criteria againstwhich browser requests may be compared, such as, for example, uniformresource locators (URLs). Furthermore, as an alternative or complementto trap list(s) 120 a, proxy server 120 may include other search and/orfiltering criteria or algorithms used to identify selected browserrequests. In any event, the proxy server 120 specifies one or moredestinations for browser requests discriminated by the trap list 120 aor other search and filtering criteria. Network 130 is positionedbetween client computer 110 and network resources at destination server140 and enable electronic communications between them. Typically,network 130 includes an intranet, a local area network (LAN), a widearea network (WAN) such as the Intranet, or some combination of thesecomponents.

Destination server 140 is a computer that is electrically coupled withnetwork 130 and stores selected resources (e.g., content and services)and provides client computers 110 access to those selected networkresources in response to browser requests. Typically, a destinationserver 140 is identified by a domain name and is accessed in response tobrowser requests including that domain name. An example of a destinationserver 140 is a host computer that provides subscribers with onlinecomputer services such as e-mail, e-commerce, chat rooms, Internetaccess, and electronic newspapers and magazines. Users of servicesoffered by a host computer typically communicate with one or morecentral servers through client software executing on their respectiveclient computers 110.

Jump server 150 is a computer that is also connected to network 130. Inthe implementation shown in FIG. 1A, jump server 150 receives browserrequests trapped by proxy server 120. Jump server 150 includes aninstruction list 150 a that associates trapped browser requests withprocessing instructions that differ from the processing instructionsincluded at the destination server specified in the browser requests.

FIG. 1C provides an example of an instruction list 150 a. Thisparticular instruction list 150 a specifies a series of domain names andrelated processing instructions. For example, the domainhttp://sportsmansguide.com is associated with three processinginstructions: (1) {{ADP file}frameset.adp}—a file with instructions forsplitting the display window before displaying content fromsportsmansguide.com, (2) {{Real URL} http/www.sportsmansguide.com/?}—acommand for displaying the destination server resource in a first of thesplit windows, and {enabled t} {title “Sportsman's Guide”}—a file fordisplaying a shopping bar in the second split window with the title“Sportsman's Guide.” Other domains within the instruction list aregenerally associated with processing instructions that differ from theprocessing instructions specified for the www.sportsmansguide.comdomain, although they may be the same as those instructions. In thismanner, it is possible to use the instruction list to supplement thecontent of the destination resource.

Typically, proxy server 120, destination server 140, and/or jump server150 will not be single monolithic entities. Rather, each will includeseveral interconnected server computers to distribute load. Eachinterconnected server computer may be dedicated to performingindependent or duplicative operations, and/or to particular geographicregions or characteristics.

FIG. 2A shows several steps used to process selected browser requests.In FIG. 2A, when an online operator enters a browser request (step 210),the browser request is filtered (step 220). Non-selected browserrequests are routed to the destination resources specified by thebrowser requests (step 230) and selected browser requests are redirectedto provide content or functionality other than that of the destinationresource (step 240).

More specifically, online operators enter browser requests (step 210)using browser software stored and run by client computer 110. A typicalbrowser request includes the domain name of a destination server uponwhich a resource is located. For example, a browser request forresources located on the destination server identified as www.jcrew.commay include that domain name. Furthermore, if specific resources arerequested from particular html pages (“webpages”) of the destinationresource, the URL corresponding to those webpages may also be includedin the browser request. An example of a browser request including a URLfor a desired resource is www.jcrew.com/homepage.html.

Selected browser requests are then identified for additional processingusing filtering techniques (step 220). For instance, in theimplementations described with respect to FIGS. 1A and 3A, the browserrequests are routed to proxy server 120. At the proxy server 120, thebrowser requests are compared against a trap list 120 a that includescriteria such as domain names and/or URLs of selected resources.However, in other implementations, such as the one shown in FIG. 3B, thebrowser request may be compared to a trap list located at the clientcomputer. In each of these implementations, other searching andfiltering criteria may be used to identify selected browser requests.For example, domain extensions (.com, .gov, .edu) may be used assearch/filtering criteria.

When a browser request is not identified for additional processingaccording to the filtering techniques (step 220), that browser requestis routed to the specified destination resource to be processed inaccordance with conventional methodologies (step 230). That is, when abrowser request is not identified as a selected browser request, thedestination server is accessed and the destination resource isdownloaded without additional processing.

Conversely, when a browser request is selected for additional processing(step 220), the browser request is redirected to a jump server that isprogrammed to provide content and/or functionality other than that ofthe specified destination resource (step 240). For instance, FIG. 2Bdescribes one implementation of step 240, where selected browserrequests are re-routed from the destination server specified by thebrowser request (step 242), appropriate additional processing isidentified for the browser requests (step 244), and the identifiedprocessing is performed with respect to each browser request (step 246).

More specifically, in step 242, selected browser requests are routed toone or more jump servers that differ from the destination serversspecified by the browser requests. The jump servers are generallyidentified by trap lists or other filtering criteria used todiscriminate the selected browser requests. Although the selectedbrowser requests are typically routed to a single jump server or singlebank of jump servers, it is also possible to route the selected browserrequests to several different jump servers.

In step 244, instruction sets included on the jump server are used toidentify processing appropriate for the selected browser requests. Forinstance, an example instruction list is shown by FIG. 1C and describedabove. By matching the browser request against the information in aninstruction list on the destination jump server specified for thebrowser) request, a set of process instructions appropriate for theselected browser request may be identified.

In step 246, the instructions specified in the instruction list for theselected browser request are performed. Depending upon the instructionsprovided in the instruction list, it is possible to change the domainname of a destination server to a domain name that enables evaluation ofbrowser activities with respect to goods or services associated withhost of the domain server. For instance, if a browser request specifieswww.jcrew.com, the browser request may be re-routed towww.jcrew.com/aol, which domain enables tracking of browser activitieswith respect to the JCREW website. Alternatively, it is possible tosplit a window and to display a toolbar or additional content (e.g.,advertising) for domain names and URLs specified in selected browserrequests.

For instance, as described with respect to the sample instructionprovided in the example instruction list provided by FIG. 1C, the domainhttp://sportsmansguide.com is associated with three processinginstructions. The first instructions {{ADP file}frameset.adp} split thedisplay window before displaying content from sportsmansguide.com. Thesecond instructions are commands for displaying the destination serverresource in a first of the split windows, and the third instructions arecommands for displaying a shopping bar in the second split window.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show components of alternative systems for processingfiltered browser requests. The systems of FIGS. 3A and 3B operatesimilarly to the system 100, with differences noted below.

In the implementation of FIG. 3A, jump server 150 is eliminated forpurposes of the described operations, and instruction list 150 a isincluded on proxy server 120, replacing trap list 120 a. With thisconfiguration, browser requests received by proxy server 120 from clientcomputer 110 are compared against instruction list 150 a in a mannersimilar to the process of comparing received browser requests againsttrap list 120 a described above in step 220 of FIG. 2A. Browser requestsidentifying selected network resources are then processed by proxyserver 120 according to the processing performed by jump server 150 inthe implementation of FIG. 1A, which is described above with respect tostep 240 of FIG. 2A and steps 244 and 246 of FIG. 2B.

In the implementation of FIG. 3B, proxy server 120 is eliminated forpurposes of the described filtering operations, and trap list 120 a isstored at client computer 110. As such, browser requests are comparedwith the trap list 120 a before being sent from client computer 110, andbrowser requests identifying selected network resources are re-routed byclient computer 110 to jump server 150 for further processing.

The system and process described above find particular utility whenapplied to facilitate online shopping (also known as electroniccommerce, or more familiarly e-commerce). Specifically, using theconcepts described above, a toolbar enabling relevant shopping tools maybe combined with merchant web pages. For the user, this combinationenables one-click access to key tools and support information. Bycustomizing the toolbar appearance, it is possible to use thistechnology to establish a consistent, universal appearance for usersnavigating e-commerce web sites.

FIGS. 4A-4E illustrate examples of displays created by splitting windowsand enhancing the content of destination servers and resources in themanner described with respect to FIGS. 2A and 2B.

Referring to FIG. 4A, a representative toolbar layout illustrates oneembodiment of a proxy-fed toolbar 400 that would appear as a banner inthe upper portion of the computer screen as a horizontal strip thatextends across the entire computer screen, from left to right. In apreferred implementation, the proxy-fed toolbar 400 consists of twosegments: a “Universal” segment 405, which corresponds to the upper halfof the toolbar, and a “Site” segment 410, which corresponds to the lowerhalf of the toolbar.

The Universal segment 405 of the proxy-fed toolbar 400 contains severalfeatures. First, it displays the brand name of the online serviceprovider, for example, the “Shop@AOL” brand 415. The brand image linksto the main web page of that brand's shopping main page.

The Universal segment 405 of the toolbar 400 also contains asingle-selection drop-down menu 420 containing some or all shoppingcategories, listed in alphabetical order. Exemplary shopping categoriesinclude the following: Apparel, Arts and Collectibles, Auctions &Outlets, Auto Center, Computing Center, Consumer Electronics,Entertainment, Food and Gourmet, Gift Center, Health and Beauty, Homeand Garden, Home Office & Business, Jewelry & Accessories, Kids, PetCenter, and Sports & Outdoor.

The Universal segment of the toolbar contains a “Go” button 425. When auser clicks on the “Go” button X25, a new browser request is entered toagain invoke the above described processes.

The Universal segment of the toolbar contains a “Customer Service” link430. When a user clicks on the “Customer Service” button 430, anelectronic link to a menu web page is activated. The Customer Serviceweb page provides a user with several options designed to addresstypical customer concerns.

The Universal segment of the toolbar contains an “AOL Guarantee” link435. When a user clicks on the “AOL Guarantee” button 435, an electroniclink to a web page containing a guarantee is displayed that is designedto provide the customer with protection in the event of unfair treatmentby a merchant.

The Universal segment of the toolbar contains a “Buying Guides” link440. The Buying Guides link 440 is shown as a question mark (“?”) on thetoolbar. When a user clicks on the Buying Guides link 440, an electroniclink to a web page designed to assist the user with navigating throughthe web site and to find appropriate merchants for the shopping needs ofthe user is activated.

In another embodiment, the toolbar contains a “Quick Checkout” link. TheQuick Checkout link is designed to accelerate the process of transactingbusiness. Further details on the Quick Checkout link are described inprovisional application No. 60/160,874 filed Oct. 22, 1999 and theutility application filed concurrently with this application, which istitled “Sharing the Personal Information of a Network User WithResources Accessed By That Network User.” Both of these applications areincorporated by reference in their entirety.

The site segment of the toolbar contains a “Department History” link445. When a user clicks on the Department History link, a menucontaining the shopping categories (see the shopping category drop-downmenu option 420, described above) appears, and the user can select whichshopping category is of interest. After the user selects a category, adisplay appears showing which merchants within that category have beenpreviously accessed by the user in reverse chronological order. Eachitem in the display is a hyperlink to the merchant's web site. TheDepartment History link 445 is thus intended to assist the user byrecognizing that shoppers often will patronize merchants that they havepatronized before.

The Site segment of the toolbar contains a “Back to <Merchant>” link450. The Back to Merchant link 450 enables a user to quickly return tothe most recently visited merchant site, by clicking on the link.

The Site segment of the toolbar contains a Search interface, includingan input box 455 and a “Search” button 460. The Search input box 455 canaccept strings of at least a predefined number (e.g., 30) characters.After a user enters a string into the input box 455, the user thenclicks on the Search button 460, and a keyword search is performed uponthe merchant web sites that are accessible via the toolbar. In thismanner, a customer can easily search for an item of interest.

FIG. 4B illustrates a window displayed in response to a browser requestfor www.jcrew.com, where the destination server is displayed on only aportion of the screen. In the FIG. 4B example, the window is split intoan upper window and a lower window. While the destination server isaccessed and appropriate contents from the destination server aredisplayed in one of the windows (lower), a toolbar is formed in theupper window to enable improved functionality. The content of thetoolbar may vary site-to-site based on various criteria. For instance,the toolbars of FIGS. 4B and 4C differ slightly, FIG. 4B generallycorresponding to member or affiliate web sites and FIG. 4C generallycorresponding to non-member web sites.

Similarly, FIGS. 4D and 4E are used to illustrate additional contentthat may be delivered based on the identification of selecteddestination servers. In FIG. 4D, a toolbar similar to that of FIG. 4B isprovided. However, in FIG. 4E, a toolbar is enhanced with a rating forservices and content provided by the domain specified by the browser.This additional content may be immediately apparent during the initialrendering of the display, or it may be added to the display in the formof an update. In this manner, processing may be performed to identify ordetermine the information to be supplementally displayed withoutdelaying the display expected by the user, and without requiring thedisplay to completely refresh when the supplemental information becomesavailable.

A number of embodiments have been described. Nevertheless, it will beunderstood that various modifications may be made. For example, othertoolbars may contain additional features. Accordingly, other embodimentsare within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: identifying a clientrequest, the client request indicating a destination resource located ona destination server; determining that the destination resource is notlocally cached; when it is determined that the destination resource isnot locally cached, further determining, using a processor, whetherdifferent processing is needed for the client request by comparing thedestination resource from the client request with a set of destinationresources or a type of destination resources; when different processingis determined not to be needed, sending the client request to thedestination server; and when different processing is determined to beneeded, causing the different processing to be performed at a processingsystem other than the destination server.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the different processing to be performed depends on at least oneof the destination resource or the destination server.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, wherein causing the different processing to be performedcomprises: accessing the destination resource; accessing an instruction,from a plurality of instructions, that is associated with thedestination resource; and performing the different processing byexecuting the instruction to change the destination resource.
 4. Themethod of claim 3, wherein accessing the destination resource comprisesat least one of accessing a cached copy of the destination resource oraccessing the destination resource from the destination server.
 5. Themethod of claim 3, wherein the plurality of instructions include a firstinstruction associated with a first destination resource and a secondinstruction associated with a second destination resource, the firstinstruction being different from the second instruction.
 6. The methodof claim 5, wherein the first destination resource is different from thesecond destination resource.
 7. The method of claim 3, wherein changingthe destination resource includes at least one of the following:displaying additional content; displaying a toolbar; displayingadvertising; splitting a window; or displaying a shopping bar.
 8. Anon-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions,which, when executed by at least one processor cause the at least oneprocessor to perform a method comprising: identifying a client request,the client request indicating a destination resource located on adestination server; determining that the destination resource is notlocally cached; when it is determined that the destination resource isnot locally cached, further determining whether different processing isneeded for the client request by comparing the destination resource fromthe client request with a set of destination resources or a type ofdestination resources; when different processing is determined not to beneeded, sending a request to the destination server; and when differentprocessing is determined to be needed, causing the different processingto be performed at a processing system other than the destinationserver.
 9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein thedifferent processing to be performed depends on at least one of thedestination resource or the destination server.
 10. Thecomputer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein causing the differentprocessing to be performed comprises: accessing the destinationresource; accessing an instruction, from a plurality of instructions,that is associated with the destination resource; and performing thedifferent processing by executing the instruction to change thedestination resource.
 11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10,wherein accessing the destination resource comprises at least one ofaccessing a cached copy of the destination resource or accessing thedestination resource from the destination server.
 12. Thecomputer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the plurality ofinstructions include a first instruction associated with a firstdestination resource and a second instruction associated with a seconddestination resource, the first instruction being different from thesecond instruction.
 13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12,wherein the first destination resource is different from the seconddestination resource.
 14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10,wherein changing the destination resource includes at least one of thefollowing: displaying additional content; displaying a toolbar;displaying advertising; splitting a window; or displaying a shoppingbar.
 15. A system comprising: a first computer including at least oneprocessor device; and a second computer; wherein the first computer isconfigured to: identify a client request, the client request indicatinga destination resource located on a destination server; determine thatthe destination resource is not locally cached; when it is determinedthat the destination resource is not locally cached, further determinewhether different processing is needed for the client request bycomparing the destination resource from the client request with a set ofdestination resources or a type of destination resources; when differentprocessing is determined not to be needed, send a request to thedestination server; and when different processing is determined to beneeded, send the client request to the second computer; wherein thesecond computer is configured to: access the destination resource;access an instruction, from a plurality of instructions, that isassociated with the destination resource; and perform the differentprocessing by executing the instruction to change the destinationresource.
 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first computer and thesecond computer are different computers.
 17. The system of claim 15,wherein the first computer and the second computer are the samecomputer.
 18. The system of claim 15, wherein the second computer isfurther configured to access the destination resource by at least one ofaccessing a cached copy of the destination resource or accessing thedestination resource from the destination server.
 19. The system ofclaim 15, wherein the plurality of instructions include a firstinstruction associated with a first destination resource and a secondinstruction associated with a second destination resource, the firstinstruction being different from the second instruction, and the firstdestination resource being different from the second destinationresource.
 20. The system of claim 15, wherein the second computer isconfigured to change the destination resource by performing at least oneof the following: displaying additional content; displaying a toolbar;displaying advertising; splitting a window; or displaying a shoppingbar.